Hotel bumped us to another hotel at midnight!!

And not one of their wedding guests have to their room for the newly weds? 🤔

Haha sorry for not including every single detail from what was just a quick anecdote sympathising with the OP's situation. For some reason it didn't occur to me that anyone would come along and blame the bride and groom for a hotel not honouring their booking on their own wedding night, but Mumsnet never fails to disappoint! 😂

The hotel bar was likely closed at 11 anyway

So the group were likely asking not just for a free tab for the entire group (the cheek!) but also for the bar to reopen just for them

Perhaps the new arrivals were the most pissed of the group

I have had this happen twice at Holiday Inn when on business. Moved out from central London to the Kings X hotel. I was likewise very cross. The taxi was a mini-cab who did not know where he was going and I did not feel safe. Morning after I complained and refused to pay the bill and told them I would challenge any charge they made (they had the CC details at the point of booking). No charge was made. I understand this is common though bad practice that some chains will overbook and take a risk that they can make more money where some customers do not turn up.

At the very least, this hotel failed to explain coherently why they did what they did. I've been sent to another hotel even with a prepaid booking quite few times - hotel full, sending you to a comparable hotel/room elsewhere. BUT I've almost always had the hotel arrange the taxi and comp the taxi ride, unless the alternate hotel was very close - and even then they've usually offered to walk me over/have someone transfer my bags.

If you feel you want to complain, I'd double check to make sure that (1) your friends' reservation started on Saturday, not accidentally on Friday like the other 2, (2) there's no time limit for check-in on your friends' booking confirmation, or if there is it is after 11 PM. I would NOT assume that your request to have your bar tab comped was denied because someone in your party seemed drunk; it's more likely that the people on staff after 11 PM may not have had the authority to grant an unusual request. Whenever I've been bumped form a hotel because they overbooked, they have admitted the error and comped me a taxi to the replacement hotel (and usually offered a drink while I waited).

The one time this did not happen, the hotel had clearly stated that check-in closed at 10 PM and even though I emailed them to say that my flight was delayed and I would be there, they gave the room away. They called me a taxi and offered me a drink while I waited, but did not comp the taxi.

To add, it may have been better if your friends had left their luggage in the hotels storage. The person dealing with bookings/reception during the early evening probably wasn’t aware of your friends arrival at lunchtime before check-in started or that their luggage was in your room, but hopefully left luggage would have been a hint for them.

Personally, I'd have asked for a refund for the room and slept on a duvet on the floor of one of the other rooms, especially if I'd had a few to drink.

I agree, it's outrageous.

This is different from your original OP where you said they first attempted check in at midday. It sounds as if what happened, shouldn’t have, but that the hotel’s systems didn’t allow for adding this sort of updates/notes.

I suspect that because the room wasn’t ready (normally it’s check in from 2 pm) the desk staff may not have started the actual check in process so there was nothing on record that the guests had attempted to check in, or that they wouldn’t be attempting check in until 11 pm, so it looked like a no-show. I would expect different staff on shift in the evening from lunchtime.

I suspect the hotel has a policy not allowing staff to offer on the spot compensation as it leaves them a bit vulnerable. Not saying that’s right but I imagine it wasn’t down to those individual staff members.

I can see the argument that overbooking shouldn’t be allowed if payment is taken in advance. But the fact is that it is currently allowed and many hotels do it. So as it stands I guess we always have to be alert to the possibility?

They will find you another hotel but it could be miles away. The worst is if you have booked near a wedding venue that you can walk to from the hotel and they bump you to a hotel 20 miles away, as happened to a friend recently.

You want to read your contract then. They nearly all do this and it's in the TaCs.
They advertise the cheaper deals pay in advance but they will bump you if they get a corporate pay full price even if you arrive before the corporate person if they are fully booked. Pay in advance are sold a 2nd time if you haven't checked in by 6pm and if you then turn up and the room is sold then you are bumped. The chains with central reservations have calculated risk assessment systems on over selling depending on days of the week, local events, etc. They have a priority system too of who goes. If you are in a loyalty system it's unlikely you will be highest to be bumped.
That's why pay in advance is significantly cheaper. They get the revenue guaranteed but if they can sell it more expensive before you arrive and have no other rooms they just bump you. If you don't arrive they get your money and a bonus of charging again if they can sell it on the night. Booking a room is no guarantee you have a room in that hotel.

Only the new arrivals were moved, four people were allowed to stay.

Most hotels don't police drinking the way mumsnet does.

If you are honest, was the group quite pissed and rowdy?

Be honest!

Did they remember your friends? I think they should have been nicer if they did.

It sounds like you were a nice bunch.

This and I’m guessing you were all worse for wear so they didn’t want you staying there

This has happened to us several times. As a family too. One time we went through Booking.com and the hotel said Booking had sent the wrong email - one room for two nights instead of two rooms for one night. When I spoke to Booking they said this is impossible as the same email is sent to us and the hotel. It is all automated. They just try it on. Keep you waiting for ages then 'find' a room which isn't as good or is in a neighbouring hotel. Then act all indignant when you give them a crap rating. They should give some compensation. I think we had a free meal once.

You checked in at 11pm ?? That could be reason

I used to work front desk in the hotel industry. It's exactly like pp have said. The owners wanted 100% occupancy every night, and that wasn't achieved without a bit of overbooking. Generally it worked out.

Once we got a walk-in who wouldn't believe me that we didn't have any rooms. He started undressing in the lobby: 'Well, I'll just sleep here, then!' I think he thought that would make me give him the secret room I was refusing to tell him about. Since there was no secret room, I just stared at him. 'Um...OK?'

I had to get the bellmen to throw him out. 😂

Someone did - about an hour after check in opened.

Your post didn't say that.

I can see why it has gone wrong, you are relying on one person at reception to remember who it was who attempted to check in before check in time, and to then hold the booking until late at night until you came back, without the two of them ACTUALLY checking in, they may have finished their shift not long after.

Did they know you were coming back late at night?

It sounds like a breakdown of communication, and too many assumptions were made, the hotel assumed you'd come back at normal check in time, and after a certain time recorded them as no shows, and the guests assumed they could check in late at night without informing the hotel. The luggage didn't help as technically no luggage had been left with them as you took it up to your rooms.

If they double booked the room on a first arrive gets it point of view, then that is terrible, but if they gave away the room some time in the evening because the guests hadn't shown up or attempted contact after check in time, then it's understandable tbf.

Where? I’ve never had someone tell me, oh sorry sir it’s 19:00, you’re late! And we gave your room away, bye.

We were bumped from a hotel in Paris - very disconcerting to be sent somewhere else (at least they paid for the taxi) though it turned out to be just as good. However, I'd planned around being in one area, where to get the metro etc and wasn't anywhere near there. They were very unapologetic.